Tagging teens arrested in El Cajon

EL CAJON  Three teens suspected of vandalizing a business with graffiti were arrested Monday just hours after El Cajon announced a graffiti tip line.

A resident spotted the boys spray painting behind the business at East Main and First streets about 8:15 p.m. and called police, who arrested the vandals without incident, police Lt. Tim Henton said.

Some 4,000 graffiti incidents were reported to the city’s graffiti removal hotline in 2009, up 45 percent from the previous year, Henton said. Authorities also have seen an increase in the vandalism in the past several months, he said.

To help combat the problem, the city and Crime Stoppers unveiled the tip line and a billboard on Monday afternoon at Prescott Promenade Park on Main Street.

Anyone with information about tagging can call the Tagger Tip Line at (888) 580-8477. Tipsters can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $2,000 for information that leads to an arrest.

The city also has a graffiti hotline at (619) 441-5533 that people can call for graffiti cleanup and removal.